The Hellion (The Lady Knights of Barony Book One ) (3 page)

Ava was stormy darkness. Her inky black hair and sooty gray eyes were defined by a complexion made golden-brown by the sun. A light dusting of freckles dotted her nose and cheekbones. Her height well exceeded that of the queen’s and her lean body was defined by long stretches of muscle.

“How long have you been home?” she asked. “I trust your journey to Cardenas was not too arduous for you.”

Isabelle snorted and rolled her eyes. “I’m a pregnant woman, not an invalid,” she said, annoyance edging her voice.

Ava’s eyes lowered to the queen’s slightly rounded middle and laughed. She knew King Serge had been making a nuisance of himself since she’d announced her pregnancy.

“Certainly Your Majesty, I would not dare suggest otherwise. Are you here for the day? I’m sure the others would love to see you.”

“If my husband doesn’t stop behaving like such a fool, I might just stay forever,” she muttered with a sigh. “I would love to see the other girls.”

The two began the short walk through the market, the queen’s bodyguards flanking them. Ava felt the corners of her mouth turning up as they neared the gated community where Barony’s female soldier’s regiment lived. After her father’s death, she and her cousin Nell had found a home within the group of women who sacrificed their lives in defense of Barony. After years of dedication to the regiment, Ava had climbed the ranks and was now their captain. Knowing that these women were with her, united with her in a common purpose, made her feel as if her life had meaning.

The gatekeeper recognized them and allowed them entrance. Ava watched as Isabelle’s eyes began to reflect the same joy that she knew was present in hers. The queen had come to her at the climax of the conflict with the rebels, asking Ava to take her on as a student. Unwilling to allow the fate of her people to rest on the shoulders of her husband alone, Isabelle had wanted to learn how to fight.

Months of grueling training had turned her into one of the finest fighters Ava had ever known. She knew that her level of skill was the sort of thing one was born with. Isabelle had always been destined for greatness.

Upon discovering that their queen was among them, the other women stopped what they were doing to greet her. At the front of the pack was Nell, who also dwarfed the tiny Isabelle with her massive height. Her muscled arms came around Isabelle and she chuckled with delight as she glanced down at her growing belly.

“She’s growing strong, Your Majesty!” Nell gushed with a smile.

“She?” questioned Isabelle with a laugh.

Nell nodded.
“Of course. Another lady warrior to join our ranks!”

A chorus of feminine laughter surrounded them as two others pushed their way to the front of the crowd.
Hanako, the Japanese woman who had fled her country before arriving in Barony, was next to greet their friend the queen. With her petite frame, she was a match for Isabelle in size. The tall, lithe Mudiwa, an African refugee, was next. She bent down from her towering height to embrace Isabelle.

The five of them had been knighted together, the very first lady knights of Barony. They’d fought together and that forged a bond stronger than any blood tie. These women were her sisters.

“You’re just in time for lunch,” said Mudiwa with her thickly accented voice. “I hope you’ll join us.”

Isabelle absently ran a hand over the mound at her middle. “That sounds wonderful. I’m famished.”

They’d just finished mopping the bottoms of their bowls with crusty bread when the door to the dining hall slammed open. A male soldier wearing Barony’s colors came staggering in. Blood trickled down the side of his head and his breathing was harsh as he stumbled toward Ava.

“My lady,” he gasped, “Raiders have come to
Trilor!”

Ava and Isabelle shot to their feet at the news. The neighboring village was full of farmers and their families. Between Gladstone and
Trilor lay nothing but farmland dotted with farmhouses and barns. Raiders could steal and pillage to their heart’s content and be gone by the time enough soldiers could be gathered to stop them.

“How long has it been?” asked Isabelle, her hand already on the hilt of the dagger at her
waist.

“Nearly half an hour,” the soldier responded. “I was riding out to a relative’s house when I spotted them. Two of them tried to follow and stop me, but I managed to fight them off.”

“You’ve done well,” said Ava as she turned to leave the dining hall. “Have someone in the infirmary tend to your hurts. You are welcome to a hot meal as well.”

Isabelle fell in alongside her, with Nell,
Mudiwa and Hanako behind them. The queen’s bodyguards brought up the rear. Once outside, they turned to Isabelle for direction.

“Suit up and meet me in the market,” she said calmly. “I am going back to the carriage for my armor.” She turned to Nell. “I will need horses for myself and my bodyguards.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Nell answered.

“But Your Majesty,” Vernon interjected, a frown creasing his forehead. Ava knew well how he hated to be forced to choose between following the orders of his king and those of his strong-willed queen. “Do you think it wise to...?”

“My husband has charged you to protect me,” she interjected, fixing Vernon with an icy glare, “not to question my commands.”

Vernon silently fell back and nodded deferentially. They all moved to do her bidding. Ava ran toward the cottage she shared with
Mudiwa. The two changed in silence, pulling on their breeches, tunics, and boots. They helped each other into their armor, strapping their gleaming silver breastplates to each other’s torsos. Each jammed a helmet on their head before taking up their weapons.

Ava opened the trunk at the foot of her narrow cot and removed her sharpened twin battleaxes before jamming them into their holsters at her hips. A sword was sheathed at her left side and a bow and quiver of arrows strapped to her back. Her dagger was shoved down into her boot.

The two ran toward the stable, where their horses were saddled and ready. Ava nodded her thanks to the women who’d run ahead to see to the task for them. Most of them were in training and would remain behind. The others were ready and waiting to follow Ava to the center of Gladstone, where Isabelle waited. She had changed inside the carriage, donning clothing and armor similar to that of the other ladies. Ava was grateful that the queen’s breastplate concealed her pregnant belly. She vowed to protect Isabelle at all costs. There would be hell to pay if she were injured.

“Eyes sharp ladies,” said the queen as she took her place at the front of the pack. Ava and Nell took their places at her right,
Mudiwa and Hanako to her left. “Archers, to the front,” she commanded as she gave them the signal to move out.

****

Dorian Blake loved fire. He loved the way orange, yellow, and red danced together among the flames. It was elegant.
Beautiful. Deadly. He adored the smell of burning wood and the heat against his skin, how a single spark could ignite a raging inferno, destroying everything it touched and leaving nothing but gray smoke and black ash in its wake.

As he sat in the saddle, watching his men set fire to the storehouses they’d just emptied, Dorian felt a tingle running down his spine at the sight of leaping tongues of fire. He would enjoy it while he could. Alas, his time in
Trilor had come to an end. Actually, his time in Barony was almost at an end. His men had their fun, he’d gotten what he came for and he was ready to go home and start reaping the benefits. The spoils of his plunder would fetch quite a price.

“I’ve got the last of them, Monsieur,” said a familiar voice carrying a heavy French accent.

Dorian turned to Geoffrey, his most faithful lackey. Geoffrey gestured toward the cluster of women under heavy guard nearby. Dorian dismounted and followed Geoff to where the women were standing. He appraised them critically, his eyes sweeping over each one, assessing. They ranged in age from eleven to about forty. There was a variety of shapes and sizes from thin to rotund. There was also an abundance of hair and eye colors. A fine selection, although none were more than passably attractive. Not one was worthy of his attention, but there were men out there that would pay for his wares. Different men had different tastes, after all.

He approved them with a nod and ordered the women bound and gagged. “Get them into the wagon and tell the men to move out. I want out of this God-awful country. We’ll find a secluded spot to camp for the night and head out in the morning.”

Half American, half French, Dorian’s accent was not quite as thick as his companion’s but still quite noticeable.

“As you wish,” said Geoff with a deferential nod.

Yes, thought Dorian with a smirk, these women, added to the others he’d already stored on board his ship, would fetch a handsome price once cleaned up and made pretty. Dolly would see to that.

His thoughts were interrupted by a dark cloud of riders headed their way. They wore Barony’s colors. Dorian’s smile widened at the sight. He’d been itching for a fight since the last village they’d raided. Geoff cleared his throat as Dorian fingered the hilt of his sword.

“Non, Monsieur, there’s no time for that,” he said.

While Dorian chafed at what he perceived as Geoff’s disrespect, he had to admit that the man was right. As much as he wanted a brawl, getting away with the merchandise was far more important.

“You’re right,” Dorian conceded with a nod. He turned his horse toward the wagon, where his other men were hurriedly prodding the women up into the vehicle. “Get a move on,” he bellowed, “we haven’t got much time left!”

Within seconds, the last of the women had been rounded up into the vehicle, and his men were saddled up and ready to escort it to safety. Dorian glanced back at the approaching riders, knowing that they could catch them easily.

“Half of you will stay behind and hold them off while the rest of us get these women out of sight. Make sure you’re not being trailed when you come to join us.”

Dorian watched as approximately thirty of his men separated from the group and fell into formation before riding off to meet the approaching soldiers. With a satisfied nod, he turned back to Geoff and his remaining men.

“Move out.”

Dorian faintly heard the sounds of shouts and clashing steel as they made their escape. He peered back over his shoulder to ensure that his men were holding them at bay. During their time here, they’d clashed with many of Barony’s soldiers. Now that the rebels had cleared out, Barony’s ranks had swelled tremendously and their villages were more protected than they’d ever been. This had not presented much of a problem for Dorian at first, but the longer they remained in Barony, the better prepared the soldier and villagers would be for their attacks. It was time to leave.

As they crested a hill several yards away from where his men were holding Barony’s soldiers back, Dorian couldn’t help looking back once more. These soldiers were different, he noticed. They were more skilled than any of the others they’d faced. He couldn’t help but admire their superior skill and choreographed formations. It was a thing of beauty.

Just before he turned away, his eyes fell on one particular soldier. Tall and slim, he wielded his twin battleaxes with lethal precision. Two of his men fell with just one swing of an axe, causing Dorian’s eyebrows to shoot up into his forehead.

Then, something remarkable happened.

The soldier fell from his horse and tumbled to the ground. When he stood, his silver helmet was no longer on his head.

Dorian’s eyes widened as they took in ebony waves and soft features. Even from this distance, he could make out eyes like gray ash. By God,
he
was a
she!

Dorian watched, transfixed, as the woman made short work of another one of his men. Geoff appeared at his side.

“Sir?” he asked, his brow wrinkled in concern. “Are you all right?”

Dorian blinked away the stupor that had fallen over him at the sight of the warrior beauty. He realized that he was alone, with only Geoff at his side. His men were carrying out his orders and had already disappeared with the kidnapped women.

Geoff probably thought he was upset over his slaughtered men. Most, if not all of them, were doomed against Barony’s female regiment. Dorian had heard stories about the lady knights, but had not realized how close he was to crossing paths with them.

As Geoff finally coaxed him into leaving the scene of the bloody battle, Dorian realized he didn’t give a damn about his dead men. There were more where they came from, plenty of morally corrupted, money hungry bastards to choose from back home. No, he didn’t care about the men at all.

He only knew that he would never be able to forget her, strong in her fury and beautiful in her vengeance, full of spirit. She was perfect. She would be his.

Ava retrieved one of her axes from the spine of a man lying face down on the ground. She used her foot to push the man onto his back and stared down into his grotesque face, still twisted in the expression of horror that had been glued to it right as he died.

“What do you suppose they were doing here?” asked
Mudiwa, who came up beside her and stood staring down at the corpse.